Privacy Policy

Hello.

It might not surprise you that a blog on Web Analytics uses web analytics tools to track its visitors by collecting anonymous statistics.

Among the tools currently being used are: Google Analytics, Yahoo! Web Analytics, ClickTracks, StatsIT, Tynt, StatCounter, and Reinvigorate. I often try new tools, you can always see the latest ones by doing a right-mouse click in your browser and choosing View Source. All tools are clearly commented and identified by name.

Cookies: Most of the above tools use first-party cookies, small text files with a single string of 100% anonymous text or numbers. I DO NOT collect any Personally Identifiable (PII) information about website visitors using any of these tools.

The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) is transmitted to Yahoo!, ClickTracks, Google and other vendors. This information is then used to evaluate visitors use of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity for www.kaushik.net.

The Web Analytics vendors used do not associate your IP address with any other data held by them. Neither I nor the Web Analytics Vendors will link, or seek to link, an IP address with the identity of a computer user. I WILL NOT associate any data gathered from this site with any personally identifiable information from any other source.

Email: Your email addresses is submitted in one of two cases on this blog.

#1: You submit your name (real or imagined!) and email address while submitting a comment. Your name or email address submitted via comments is NOT sent to any web analytics vendor or third party. It never will be.

#2: You submit your email address in the widget in the right navigation of this blog to sign up for this blog to be delivered to you via email. This service is managed by FeedBurner. Every email you get via FeedBurner contains one click unsubscribe information at the end.

You also have the option of getting something delightful like Google Reader and subscribing to the blog via RSS. That eliminates the email issue, if it is of concern.

Controlling Your Privacy

There are two simple ways in which you can opt-out from tracking by this website.

#1: You can control how your browser accepts cookies. Please check out this wonderful article: How to control cookies. It has simple instructions for Windows and Mac computers and Chrome, IE, AOL, Firefox, Opera and Safari browsers. You can now choose to accept first party or third party cookies (or neither).

#2: You can turn off JavaScript in your browser. I can't find a good article that shows how to do this for every browser, but a simple Google search should help you find out how to do it for your browser.

Other Methods to Opt Out of Tracking:

Google Analytics:

If you use Google Analytics and want to opt out of being tracked using Google Analytics on any website, then you are in luck. Simply head over to Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on and install the add-on in your browsers.

This is a pretty secure and pretty permanent opt out.

Yahoo! Web Analytics:

The opt-out from Yahoo! Web Analytics is not quite as strong since YWA uses a third party cookie to opt out (which is pretty fragile). But you can opt out at this page: Yahoo! Web Analyitcs OPT-OUT.

Visit it every once in a while to make sure you are still opted out.

General Behavioral Advertising:

This blog does not do any behavioral advertising or behavioral targeting. But if you want to opt out of it for other sites you browse then you can do so here: Opt Out of Behavioral Advertising by multiple companies.

Visit it every once in a while to make sure you are still opted out as AboutAds also uses third party cookies to opt out.

Facebook:

This blog does not use Facebook Like buttons (for reasons you are about to hear :). Sites that use Facebook's Like buttons send your visit data back to Facebook (currently from more than a million websites). For now I have decided not to send your data there.

No list of privacy links would be complete without the Google Privacy Manager. On the site you'll find the most comprehensive links to privacy options, links to control your privacy etc.

I encourage you to checkout your Google Dashboard to see everything Google knows about you. View, edit or opt out of Google's interest based ads (strong opt out, hurray!) by going to the Ads Preferences Manager.

Finally escape Google and its services AND take your data with you (hurray!), check out the Data Liberation Front.

These are just a few of the links on the Google Privacy Manager, check 'em all out.

As might be obvious this privacy policy was not written by lawyers. By choice. Your feedback privacy policy is always welcome, please email me by writing to blog at kaushik dot net.